Pneumatic support



Feb. 27, 1923. v 1,446,772. H. SEIBEL.

PNEUMATIC SUP PdRTi v v FILED JULY 2.1920; a SHEETQQHEET 1.

\ INVENTOR.

Henry Se/b M BY WORNEYS Feb. 27, 1923. 1,446,772.

HfSEl-BEL.

PNEUMATIC SUPPORT.

FILED JULY 2,1920. 3 SHEETS-SHEET Z- V INI "ENTOR.

Hen/ y Sel'be:

9'0 1 l TTORNEYS Feb. 27, 1923. 1,446,772.

' H. SEIBEL.

PNEUMATIC SUPPORT.

. FILED JULY 2.1920. 3 SHEETS-SHEET a. v

v INVENTOR. Hen/y Seibe/ Patented Feb. 27, 19,23.

HENRY SEIBEL, or SAN FRANCISCO, catiroaNia, AssrGNoaTouNrrEn AIR srnING COMPANY or ARIZONA, or PHOENIX, AnIzoNA, A CORPORATION or ARIZONA.

PNEUMATIC siiri on'r.

7 Application fi led July 2, 1920. Serial No. 393,554..

To all whom it may cont-era:

Be it known that I, HENRY and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic'Sup' ports, of which the following is a specification. 7 Y "Thisinvention relates to pneumatic-sup;

ports which include a flexible supporting element and a deformer against which said element abuts and which is supported by' a suitable connection'so as to transmit shock and vibration from said connection to the' flexible supporting element.

More particularly shock and vibration of the connecting member is transmitted tothe flexible supporting element along an arcuate line so, that the .connecting member is moved transversely this transverse movement of the connecting member relative to the supporting. element has resulted in a wearing action between the deformer rigid with the connecting member and the supporting element, and has also resulted in a tendency of the deformer to shift to an undesirable degree relative to the supporting element. Q V 7 It is the ob'ect of the'present invention to provide a construction wherein the deformer is transversely shiftable relative to theconnecting member so that the relative transverse position of the deformer and supporting element will remain unchanged during the lateralshifting of the'connecting member. y The invention is particularly applicable to the construction of pneumatic supports'i 'or the seat andhandle bars of a motor cycle and the like; and in the practical embodiment of the invention, as illustrated, I have shown the pneumatic supports utilized in this connection; It will be obvious, however, that such a pneumatic support may be advantageouslyemployed f in any construction where it is desired to providearesilient supporting connection between a member subject SEIBEL, 3 citizen oi the United States, residingflat San. Francisco, in thecounty of San Franciscothe invention relates to a construction of this character ,wherein'the to shock and vibration and amember from Y which it iSfd eSlIfeClt'Qj eliminate such shock and vibration, v I

The invention ViVllli be readily understood from Q thev following description. of 'faccompanying drawingsswhich y Figure 1 is a side elevation of lportionof arnotor "cyc1e having.itsseatmounted upon a A pneumatic support constructed in accordance 'with the invention. a

" FigQQ is a side elevation of a portionQ of a motor cycle showing the handlebars there of connectedto the forkof the .front' wheel by the improved pneumatie Fig. v 3 is a vertical section through the motor cycle seat shown in-Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is 'atransverse section on thedine at-t ;of Fig. 3. 7 i

5 5. f Fig.4.? I Fig. 6 is a top plan view ofgthe supporting means'for the seat. f;

Fig. 7 is atop plan view o-f 'theq'handle bars and their connection.

r Fig. 5 isa longltudinal section on the line Fig. 8 1s a transverse section ontheline,

8-8 of Fig. 5...

'In thedrawings I have shown amotor cycle having; a seat 1 mounted 'upon pneumatiosupports 2.

receptacles depending by means of'a con nectlon 3 from an air reservo r 4 witlrwhrchthey communica'teQ A" sup-portingf strip' 5 These-supports, preferably, two in number; are, preferably, of

is positioned upon ,theftop ofthe reservoir 4;

with the forward endof said strip pivoted by means of apin 6 to astrip 7 extending rearwardly between the pneumatic supports 2. The rear ends of" strips 5 and 7 are connected by ashackle comprising links 8 pivotally connected "by the, pin 9 at theirinner ends and having the outer ends of the links pivotally connected by pins -10jto strips 5 and 7 respectively.

.The seatl is, rigidly mounted upon-the reservoir 4. A cross arm-1-1is rigidlyacom nected to strip 7- beneath seat 1, said arm,

preferably, including transversely extend ing ends '12 arranged'beneath theerespective supports 2 and an intermediate U-shaped portion 13 extending across strip 7 and suit- CYOlG fIEIBIG is transmitted through rod to strip 7' which will swing upon the pivot 6 relative to the motor cycle-seat. This arouate, movement of cross arm 11' which 'is r gid with rod 14 and Wlll thereby move with the same, will cause lateral movement of said cross arm relative to the pneumatic supports. In order to prevent a simliar lateral, movement of deformer '16 relative to ieoneumaiic su oorts 1Q ce or -s are tl t ,tl 1f mer arrangedfor lateral movement relative to the ends of the cross arm 11. i

As an instanceof. this arrangement each of the deformers is provided with an enlarge-d lower end forming opposite parallel shoulders 21, each of which is adapted to be received beneath a clip 22 secured upon theend 12 01 thecross arm in such manner as to permit of movement of the deformer relative to the cross arm through the move ment of shoulders 21 through the grooves provided by said clips. T he clips will, how ever, prevent displacement of the deformers relative to the cross arm. The deformer may also be slidably retained relative to the cross arm 11 by means of a bolt 25 received through an elongated slot 26 provided in the cross arm withthe end of the bolt extending through a suitable aperture, in the deformer and having a retaining nut 27 upon the end thereof suitably countersunk into the deformer beneath the recess 17.

The handle bars of the motor cycle are shown at 29-and are flexibly supported relative to the front fork 30 of the motor cycle by a pneumatic support, such as previously described. As an; instance of this arrangement a' supporting sleeve 31 may depend from; the handle bars at their pivotal axis,

said sleeve being rotatably mounted in the fork along the natural. are to which it will tend to conform as road shocks and vibrations are imparted to said fork.

A pneumatic support of the type previously described is positioned "ithin the end of the bore of sleeve 3'l'between the end of rod and the end'35 of said sleeve. This pneumatic support includes the reservoir 4, preferably, secured within sleeve 31 by the threaded connection 37. The flexible pneumatic receptacle 2 depending from the reservoir makes engagement, as previously described, with deforiner 16 mounted upon the end of rod 34 so as to be laterally slid ably moved relative thereto, said sliding adjustment including clips 22 engaging shoulders 21 upon the deform r and abolt '25 extending through an elongated slot. 26, previously described.

By this arrangement it will be seen that the handle bars are adapted to turn sleeve 31, which through the binding engagement provided between said sleeve and rod 34 due to the longitudinal curve of these parts, will cause turning movement of the front fork of the motor cycle for steering the latter. At the same time the front fork is free for longitudinal movement relative to the bandle bars along the curve of its natural arcuate movement, so as to absorb road shocks and'vibrations by means of the pneumaticsupport provided between the front fork and the handle bars. Thelateral movement of the supporting rod of the frontfork" seat and handle bars of a motor cycle, as

herein described, forms only one of many practical embodiments of such a pneumatic support, and it will also be understood, that the deformer making engagement with the pneumatic support may be slidably mount: ed upon its supporting connection in various ways, it being only necessary for the purpose of this invention that the deformer be freely movable relative to its supporting,

connection so that the relative position of the deformer and pneumatic support may remain unchanged. It will also be understood. that the improved pneumatic support is not restricted in its use to the'seat and handle bars of a motorcycle or the like, but may be employed wherever it is desired to form a flexible supporting connection between parts having a tendency to shift laterallyrre'lative to one another. Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as claime What is claimed is:

l. A yie-ldable support having a connection adapted to receive shock and vibration which is movable relative to said support in a direction responsive to said shock and vibration, and a member included in said support which is movable relative to said 'COIIIIBOtlOIl in order to prevent responsive lateral relative movement of the parts of said support. 7

2. Aryieldable support having a connection movable laterallyrelative to said support and a member included insaid support movable relative to said connection in order to prevent responsive lateral relative move ment of the parts ofsaid support.

3. A yieldable support having a' connection'mounted for arcuate movement in the direction of yield of said support, and a member included in said support being movable relative to said connection in order to v prevent responsive lateral relative movement of the parts of said support.

4:. A yieldable support having a connection mounted for movement relative to saidsupport responsive to shock and vibration,

and a member included in said support mov-' able relative to said connection in order to prevent responsive lateral relative movement of the parts of said support.

5. A yieldable support comprising a ble supporting element, and a deformer en gaging said element and having a supporting connection which is movable relative thereto.

tion, and a member included in saidsupportmovable relat ve to said connection in order to prevent responsive lateral relative move- .ment ofthe partsof said support.

8. The combination witha vehicle frame,

of a yieldable support, a connection between said frameand'support arranged for arcu-' ate movement with the portions of said frame subject toroad shocks and vibration,

and a member included in said support mov able relative tosaid connection in order to. prevent responsive lateral relative movement 1 r r of the parts of said support.

9. A yield ble support comprising'a fl'exi ble supporting element, and a deformer engaging said element and having a supporting connection, said connection including guideways in which said deformer is slidable I for movement relative to said supporting connection.

10. A yieldable support comprising a fiexible supporting element, and a deformer en- 1 gaging said element andhaving a support ing connection, said connection including a slot and a bolt carried by said deformer slidable' in said slot for movement of said deformer relative to its supportingconnection.

11. A yieldable support comprising a fleX-v ible supporting element, and a deformerengaging said element and having asup'port ing connection, said connection including guideways in which said deformer is slidrelative to its supporting connection. 12. A vehicle seat having a flexible support, a deformer enga ing said support, and

a supporting member or said deformer' havable, and a slot adapted to receive a bolt carried by said deformer and slidable in 'said slot, for movement of said defor'mer ing a pivotal'con nection with said seat, and

supported by the vehicle frame, and arranged for lateralmovement relative to said deformer'; f

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to thisspecification.

- HENRY SEIBEL. 

